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Little League Sectional 5 All-Star softball 12s: South Shore advances to finals in 3-2 shortened game

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South Shore jerseys hang in the dugout before the Tottenville 12-year-old softball All-Stars secured a trip to the Section 5 title game with a 3-2 victory Wednesday night.
(Advance Photo/Michael Tatar)

FRANKLIN SQUARE, L.I. -- From the sun-filled skies of Breezy Point to the ominous clouds in Franklin Square, South Shore managed to squeeze out a 3-2 rain-shortened Little League Section 5 12-year-old All-Star softball victory over Franklin Square Wednesday night.

The game was originally scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Rockaway Little League in Breezy Point but was pushed back to 7 and relocated to Franklin Square because the Rockaway field was not acceptable by both teams for softball play.

South Shore advances through the winners' bracket and will face the winner of Thursday's (weather permitting) losers' bracket final (Ozone Park vs. Franklin Square) Saturday at Klein Field at 6 p.m. for the Section 5 title.

Confusion and controversy surrounded the final outcome as the game was called at the end of four innings, when the skies opened up and Mother Nature decimated the field in a matter of minutes.

After consulting with an All-Star administrator on the phone and an official overseeing the game, it was determined that according to the official tourney rules, if four innings of play are completed, and one team is winning, the score is final.

"It's a tough rule, but I understand it ... everyone is traveling, and suspending it would mess up the bracket," said M-I coach Lou Esposito.

SS ace Danielle Maguire was sharp on the mound, allowing four hits while striking out seven in four innings.

Isabella Fiumfreddo (1 for 3, RBI, run) led off the bottom of the first for SS with a triple. She scored on a fielder's choice by Maya Reyes to take an early 1-0 lead.

Franklin Square responded in the second with a one-out double by Jaclyn Schemner. Gianna Costagliola plated Schemner on an error, SS's second of the game. A two-out bunt base hit by Mary Grace Spano scored Costagliola for a 2-1 FS lead.

SS tied it in the bottom half of the frame on two singles, a base on balls and a Fiumfreddo sacrifice fly to right center which scored Julie Cedeno.

Maguire drew a free pass in the third and came around to score on a beautiful bunt by Caitlin DeAngelis to make it 3-2.

After the rocky second inning, Maguire settled down and stifled the visitor's bats, only allowing one hit while striking out three over the final two innings.

Cedeno nabbed a line drive in the third and stepped on first for a double play to stop any hopes of a rally, after Maguire had surrendered a lead-off walk to FS.

SS was knocking on the door for an insurance run in the fourth after a walk and a hit-by-pitch to start the inning. But, after an infield fly and a ground out, Nicolette Esposito was tagged out at the plate trying to score on a passed ball.

"We left a lot of runners on tonight," said Esposito. "But we got the hits we needed, Maguire was strong, and we're in the championship."